And So I Stay - A Malvie Plot

Chapter 2 - I Get It

Sitting peacefully on her bed, she couldn't help but glance up at her roommate happily removing her cobalt blue dress and stilettos after a roller coaster of a night. They were practically sisters; they had lived together for years and this behavior didn't faze either of them. But Mal, still eyeing the blueberry princess, felt a forbidden kind of delight.

Ever since their moment on the Isle, the soon-to-be queen's curiosity spiked. Before the night they spent together, their playful and affectionate personalities had come naturally and without a second thought. Though that evening, when loneliness, heartbreak, and spontaneity were in full bloom, she sensed a more intimate closeness.

"Enjoying the view?" Evie questioned with an angelic laugh.

"Don't flatter yourself," the rebellious girl answered, though she blushed a vibrant red.

"What would Ben say?" Evie teased her embarrassed friend and slipped on an old t-shirt.

Mal beamed at the mention of his name. He had certainly enchanted her over the past year and almost nothing could bring the two of them apart. Almost nothing. Like any other couple they had their disagreements, miscommunications, and differing perspectives, but Mal refused to let it become an issue. She felt confident and comfortable in her relationship, or so she told herself. Quite frankly they had very little in common which tended to cause friction between them, but Mal assumed it was all worth it.

"He'd go ballistic, honestly." Mal's tone held discomfort, attempting to hide it with a smile. "He hates when I look at anybody else but him."

Unsettled by the remark, Evie noted the statement but continued to play along.

"Well, you can tell the king that we'll keep things professional."

"Can we at least be friendly?" the shorter girl joked.

"I'll think about it."

Mal and Ben had agreed to meet the next morning for brunch for some alone time after Cotillion. The strain on their relationship, growing since Uma had appeared at the event, needed to be addressed. Both were happy to sit down and discuss it over a luscious fruit salad and variety of scones, a choice Mal frequently teased him about.

They sat across from one another at a small, round table draped with a white table cloth lined with golden lace. The table, set in a gazebo in one of the several royal gardens, shaded them evenly from the warming morning sun. Bright red and yellow tulips surrounded the small structure and filled the air with a floral aroma.

"I enjoyed last night," the king spoke up after taking a sip of ice water.

"You did?" Mal was surprised. The evening had been rather stressful for both of them. "I thought we were here to discuss the opposite."

"I enjoyed the moments I spent with you," he clarified. "You looked beautiful. Didn't you have fun?"

"I think I liked Chad's afterparty better. I went outside and settled down. The fireflies were out."

"Right. You were avoiding me." Ben's voice, low and somber, held sincerity.

"I wasn't avoiding you." Mal chuckled. "I was just spending time with other people."

"Because you don't like me."

"What? Ben, I told you I love you." She reached over and placed her hand on his. He glanced at her hand and then up at her. "You don't have to worry about us. You mean everything to me."

Reassured, he half smiled and took her hand.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she replied in the same quiet manner.

"I love you more. But I mean, I get it if you want to break up."

So shocked and rather offended by his statement, she removed her hand from his and forced it onto her lap in a huff.

"I don't want to break up with you. I care about you so much." Mal's words were also forceful. His behavior, doubtful and worrisome, instilled a guilty thought in her mind. She hadn't proved her love for him thoroughly. Surely, she had to do more for him, though what she didn't quite know. More dates, more gifts, more commitment. Mal was set on keeping her relationship with Ben alive and well. And if that meant putting in more work, so be it, she thought.

"Can I finish your scone?" Ben asked sheepishly.

"Yeah." She handed it to him as easily as she handed him the chocolate chip cookie that started it all: as if it were an order and without second thought.